Combination folding seat and lunch box or other carrying case



c. BRAMMING 3,120,404 COMBINATION FOLDING SEAT AND LUNCH BOX OR OTHER CARRYING CASE Feb. 4, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 29, 1962 INVENTOR. CARL BRAMMme Feb. 4, 1964 c. BRAMMING 3,120,404

COMBINATION FOLDING SEAT AND LUNCH BOX OR OTHER CARRYING CASE Filed Jan. 29, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3) my is; \%T 4 w Hi i :IH I'M;

I l I I w m I u so ,f a o {L H" "v" I 3 NIH I: Mill," I l I l I I 1 INVENTOR. CARL bRAMMlNC-a ATTYs.

C. BRAMMING COMBINATION FOLDING SEAT AND LUNCH BOX OR OTHER CARRYING CASE Filed Jan. 29, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 6. 1 mm m.mv l| or wh m] L w WM WMPIIIIIIIIIIHH 1 ml l l l l e ww O O hmm ga iw w i %%*+AWW fi 0 I 1; if 0 A Q $%$++%OW%A%O Q MV S m m i A $11 FWW M MMKH INVENTOR. CMzL BRAMMING United States Patent COMBINATION FGLDING SEAT AND LUNCH BOX OR GTHER CARRYING CASE Carl Bramming, Nashville, Tenn., assignor to Aladdin Industries, Incorporated, Nashville, Tenn, a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 169,249

8 Claims. (Cl. 297-118) This invention relates to a new and improved device which serves not only as a pair of folding seats, but also as a convenient lunch box or other carrying case.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved device of the foregoing character which opens to provide a pair of comfortable seats which may be used in a stadium, on a boat, or for other similar services.

A further object is to provide such a new and improved device in which the seats are provided with collapsible back rest members.

Another object is to provide such a new and improved device which folds compactly to provide a case for carrying vacuum bottles, sandwiches, rain coats, or other articles which may prove to be useful in connection with the seats.

It is a further object to provide a new and improved device of the foregoing character having a pair of cords or lines which support the back rest members, when the device is open, and which provide handles when the device is closed.

Another object is to provide such a new and improved device having a container which is swingably mounted on one of the seats so as to be movable into a position of use below the front end of the seat, so that the vacuum bottles, sandwiches, or other articles in the container will be conveniently accessible to the occupants of the seats.

A further object is to provide a new and improved device of the foregoing character in which the container is swingable against the seat so as to be enclosed between the seats when the device is closed.

Still another object is to provide a new and improved device of the foregoing character which is easy to manufacture and low in cost.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description, taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination folding seat and lunch box, to be described as an illustrative embodiment of thepresent invention, shown in its open position, with the seats ready for use.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the device of FIG. 1 in its closed position, ready to be carried to or from its point of use.

FIG. 3 is a vertical section, taken through the device of FIG. 1, generally along the line 33 therein.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but taken generally along the line 44 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a top view, partly in section, of one of the seat members employed in the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken through the device of FIG. 1 in its closed position, generally along a line 66 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken generally along a line 7-7 in FIG. 5.

As just indicated, FIG. 1 illustrates a device 10 adapted to serve not only as a pair of folding seats, for use in a stadium, on a boat, or in other similar situations, but also to provide a case in which vacuum bottles 12, a lunch 14 or other useful articles may be carried. It will be seen that the device 10 comprises a pair of seats 16 which are substantially the same in construction. When the device 10 is open, as shown in FIG. 1, the seats 16 on the other seat.

3,120,404 Patented F eb'. 4, 1964 are disposed side by side. The seats may be mounted on the seat boards usually provided in a stadium, a small boat, or the like. When the device is closed, as shown in FIG. 2, the seats 16 are folded so as to provide a convenient carrying case for the vacuum bottles 12, the lunch 14, rain coats or various other useful articles.

It will be seen that each of the seats 16 is in the form of a hollow half shell. The shape of each seat 16 may also be likened to an inverted tray or pan. Thus, each seat 16 has a generally horizontal top wall 18 and a depending skirt or peripheral side wall flange 20 which provides a front wall 22, a rear wall 24, and a pair of side walls 26 and 28. The bottom of each seat member 16 is open.

Inside each seat member 16, a pair of reinforcing ribs or partitions 3t and 32 extend from front to rear, adjacent the side walls 26 and 28. Transverse webs 34 extend between each of the ribs 30 and 32 and the corresponding side walls 26 and 28.

The seat member 16 may be moulded very economically from various plastic materials, such as polystyrene, polyethylene or polypropylene, for example. These plastics provide suflicient resilience so that the top wall 18 provides comfortable support for the user. If desired, the top wall 18 may be appropriately padded. A multiplicity of holes 36 may be formed in the top wall 18 to provide ventilation and also to reduce the weight of the folding seat device 10. The openings 36 also increase the springiness of the top wall 18. The illustrated seats 16 are connected together by hinge means, whereby the seats may be swung between the open position of FIG. 1 and the closed position of FIG. 2. In this case, such hinge means comprise a pair of hinge pins 38 projecting from bosses or lugs 40 formed on the side wall 26 of each seat. Apertures or bores 42 to receive the hinge pins 38 are formed in olfset bosses or lugs 44 formed on the side wall 28 of each seat. It will be evident that the hinge pins 38 may readily be slipped into and out of the bores 42 so that the seats 16 may be disassembled and used separately if desired. For manufacturing convenience, a full set of both of the lugs 40 and 44 may be formed on both seats, although some of the lugs are not used.

The hinge lugs 40 and 42 are formed at the lower edges of the side walls 26 and 28 so that the seats 16 will be disposed side by side with their top walls 18 in substanti-ally the same plane when the seats are opened, as shown in FIG. 1. When the seats 16 are closed or folded, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the open bottoms of the seats are opposite each other, so that the top walls 18 and the front, rear and side walls 22, 24, 26 and 28 of both seats form a closed hollow carrying case. To hold the seats 16 in their closed position, one of the seats may be provided with a latch 46 which is pivotally mounted on the side wall 28 and is adapted to interlock with a pin 48 The illustrated latch 46 is formed with a slot 54) for receiving the pin 48. Any other suitable type of latch may be employed.

In order to anchor the seats 16 on a stadium seat, boat or the like, each of the illustrated seats 16 is provided with a pair of hooks 52 adapted to extend downwardly adjacent the front wall 22. Each hook 52 is generally L-shaped and thus has a downwardly projecting leg 54 and a foot or flange portion 56 which is bent rearwardly from the lower end of the arm 54. As shown to advantage in FIG. 3, the foot portion 56 is adapted to extend beneath a stadium seat board 58 or the like, so as to restrain the seat 16 from tipping rearwardly. The leg portion 54 of each hook 52 is engageable with the front edge of the seat board 58 so as to prevent the seat 16 from sliding rear wardly off the seat board.

Each of the illustrated hooks 52 is swingably mounted on the corresponding seat 16 so as to be swingable upwardly into the hollow space within the seat, when the seats are to be folded. Thus, the upper end of each leg 54 is formed into a loop or eye 60. A pivot pin or rod 62 is inserted through the eye 60 and is adapted to be supported in openings 64 and 66 formed in the side walls 26 and 28 and in the ribs 30 and 32. The books 52 are adapted to be folded into the spaces between the side walls 26 and 28 and the corresponding ribs 30 and 32.

To increase the comfort of the users, each of the seats 16 is provided with a back rest member 68 which is swingable into a position of use extending upwardly from the rear portion of the seat and generally perpendicular thereto, as shown in FIG. 1. Each back member 68 is swingable into a folding or collapsed position against the top wall 18 of the corresponding seat, as shown to advantage in FIGS. 2 and 6. Thus, each back member 68 is formed with a pair of flanges 70 which are secured to the side walls 26 and 28 by means of pivot pins 72, which may take the form of rivets, screws or the like.

The pivots 72 may be connected to bosses 74 formed on the side walls 26 and 28 at the rear of the seat. If desired, a multiplicity of openings 76 may be formed in each back member 68 to provide ventilation and to reduce the weight of the folding seat. It will be evident that the back rest members 68 may be moulded at low cost from various plastic materials.

Each seat 16 is provided with means for supporting the back member 68 in its erected position. In this case, such means take the form of cords or lines 78 which are looped behind the back members 68. The ends of each cord 78 are secured to the side walls 26 and 28 of the corresponding seat 16. Thus, each of the side walls 26 and 28 may be provided with an opening 80. The ends of the cords 78 may be inserted through the openings and may be knotted inside the seat to anchor the cord. As shown, each back member 68 is formed with a pair of loops or eye members 82 for receiving and retaining the corresponding cord 78 so as to prevent the cord from falling down behind the back member. It will be seen that the cord 78 extends in slanting or diagonal flights between the seat 16 and the back rest 68. When the folding seat member is folded, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the cords 78 provide convenient handles. It will be evident that the cords 78 are long enough to be brought together in front of the front walls 22 which are at the top of the device when it is folded. One of the cords may be looped around the other cord, and such other cord may be fitted with a tubular handle member 86 which may be gripped comfortably in the hand of the user. When the folding seat 10 is open, the handle member 86 is disposed in back of one of the back rests 68, as shown in FIG. 1.

Each seat 16 may be formed with slots 88 and 90 in the front and rear walls 22 and 24. A strap 92 may be threaded through the slots 88 and 90 and may be employed to secure the seats to the seat boards of a boat or the like so that the seats will remain in place despite the irregular movements of the boat. It is not usually necessary to employ such straps 92 when the seats are mounted on stadium seat boards.

To provide convenient support for the vacuum bottles 12, the lunch 14 and other articles, the illustrated folding seat 10 is provided with a container 94 which is in the form of a generally rectangular open topped box or bin having front and rear walls 96 and 98, a pair of side walls 100, and a bottom wall 102. In this case, the box 94 is of a size such as to hold two vacuum bottles with room for sandwiches or other articles therebetween. The illustrated box 94 is conveniently mounted on one of the seats 16 so as to be movable downwardly into a position just below the front of the seat when the folding seat is opened, as shown in FIG. -1. When the seat device is closed, the box 94 is movable into a position in which it is enclosed between the hollow seats or half shells 16,

as shown to advantage in H6. 6. The box 94 is adapted to be received in the compartment between the two ribs or partitions 3t) and 32 in each of the seats 16.

To provide for such movement, the illustrated box 94 is swingably mounted inside the front portion of the corresponding seat 16. Thus, as shown to advantage in FIG.

4, the upper portion of the rear wall 98 is rolled or otherwise formed into an eye 104. The pivot rod 62, which also supports the hooks 52, may be inserted through the eye 104 so as to provide pivotal support for the box 94.

When the combination folding seat and lunch box 10 is closed, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the box 94 is swung into the corresponding seat or half shell 16 so that the rear wall 98 of the box is adjacent the top wall 18 of the corresponding seat. The box 94 is entirely enclosed within the two hollow seats 16. The latch 46 retains the seats in their folded position.

When the folding seat 10 is to be opened, the latch 46 is unhooked from the pin 48 and the cords 78 are disengaged from each other. The seats 16 may then be swung away from each other until they are side by side. In this position of the seats, the lunch box 94 may be swung out of the corresponding seat 16 so that it occupies the position shown in FIG. 1, just below the front portion of the seat. The back rest members 68 are swung upwardly into their erected positions. Finally,

the hooks 52 are swung downwardly and are hooked under the seat board 58.

It will be evident that the present invention provides convenient and comfortable folding stadium seats, together with a built-in lunch box which may be employed to carry hot coffee or other beverages, sandwiches, rain coats or the like. The device may be carried very easily and conveniently when it is folded. Thus, the device is very desirable for use by persons watching football games and other stadium events. It is also valuable for use in small boats and the like. It will be recognized that the device of the present invention may readily be manufactured at low cost.

Various modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents may be employed without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as exemplified by the foregoing description and defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a combination folding seat and lunch box,

the combination comprising first and second similar hollow half shells,

means forming a hinge connection between said half shells, said half shells being swingable between a closed position in which said half shells are opposite each other to form a closed case, and an open position in which said half shells are side by side to form a pair of seats,

first and second back rest members swingably mounted on said respective first and second half shells,

each of said back rest members being connected to the corresponding half shell adjacent one end thereof and being swingable between a collapsed position in which said back rest member is swung against the outside of said half shell and an erected position in which said back rest member extends generally perpendicular to said half shell,

first and second lines looped around said first and sec- 0nd back rest members,

said lines having end portions connected to said respective first and second half shells for supporting said back rest members in their erected positions,

said lines providing handles when said back rest members are collapsed and said half shells are in their closed position,

said back rest members having eyes thereon receiving and retaining said lines,

a pair of hooks swingably mounted in each of said half shells and movable out of the half shell into a depending position when said half shells are in their open position,

said hooks being disposed at the end of the half shell opposite from the end at which the back rest memher is secured,

said hooks being engageable with a seat board or the like for retaining the :half shell thereon,

and a lunch container swingably mounted in one of said half shells and movable between a carrying position in which said container is between the half shells when the half shells are closed,

and a position of use in which said container is swung downwardly in front of the corresponding half shell when said half shells are in their open position.

2. In a combination folding seat and lunch box,

the combination comprising a pair of seats in the form of hollow half shells, each of said seats having a top wall,

a pair of side walls,

and front and rear walls,

said side Walls and said front and rear Walls extending downwardly from said top wall,

means forming a hinge connection between the lower edge portions of adjacent side walls of said seats,

said seats thereby being swingable between open and closed positions,

said seats being side by side in said open position,

said seats having their open bottoms opposite each other in said closed position so as to form a closed case,

back members mounted on said seats,

each of said back members being swingably connected to the corresponding seat adjacent the rear wall thereof and being swingable between a collapsed position and an erected position,

the back member being against the top wall of the seat in said collapsed position,

the back member being generally perpendicular to the top Wall of the seat in the erected position,

a pair of lines looped around said back members and having end portions secured to said seats for sup porting said back members against rearward movement when said back members are in their erected positions,

said back members having means forming eyes therein for receiving and retaining said lines,

said lines providing handles for the closed case when said back members are collapsed and said seats are closed,

a pair of hooks extending downwardly from each of said seats when said seats are in said open position,

said hooks being connected to said seats adjacent the front walls thereof and being engageable with a seat board or the like for retaining the seats thereon,

and a container swingably connected to one of said seats adjacent the front wall thereof,

said container being swingable downwardly into a position of use at the front of the corresponding seat when said seats are in their open position,

said container being swingable against the inside of the top wall of the corresponding seat so as to be enclosed between said seats when said seats are in their closed position.

3. In a combination folding seat and case,

the combination comprising a pair of seats in the form of half shells having top walls and side Walls extending downwardly from said top walls,

means forming a hinge connection between adjacent side walls of said seats,

said seats being swingable between open and closed positions,

said seats being side by side in said open position,

said seats having open bottoms,

said seats being disposed with their open bot-toms opposite each other when said seats are in their closed position so as to form a case,

a pair of back members mounted on said respective seats, I

each of said back members being swingably connected to the rear portion of the corresponding seat and being swingable between collapsed and erected positions, said back member being swung against the top wall of the corresponding seat in said collapsed position,

said back member being generally perpendicular to the corresponding seat in said erected position,

and a container swingably connected to the inside of one of said seats adjacent the front thereof and being swingable between a carrying position and a position of use,

said container being disposed between said seats and within said case in said carrying position,

said container being swung below the front portion of the corresponding seat when said seats are in said open position and said container is in its position of use.

4. In a combination folding seat and lunch box,

the combination comprising a pair of seats in the form of hollow half shells, each of said seats having a top wall,

a pair of side walls,

and front and rear walls,

said side walls and said front and rear Walls extending downwardly from said top wall,

means forming a hinge connection between the lower edge portions of adjacent side walls of said seats,

said seats thereby being swingable between open and closed positions,

said seats being side by side in said open position,

said seats having their open bottoms opposite each other in said closed position so as to form a case,

back members mounted on said seats,

each of said back members being swingably connected to the corresponding seat adjacent the rear wall thereof and being swingable between a collapsed position and an erected position,

the back member being against the top wall of the seat in said collapsed position,

the back member being generally perpendicular to the top wall of the seat in the erect position,

a pair of lines looped around said back members and having end portions secured to said seats for supporting said back members against rearward movement when said back members are in their erected positions,

said back members having means for receiving and retaining said lines,

said lines providing handles for the closed case when said back members are collapsed and said seats are closed,

and a container swingably connected to one of said seats adjacent the front wall thereof,

said container being swingable downwardly into a position of use at the front of the corresponding seat when said seats are in their open position,

said container being swingable against the inside of the top wall of the corresponding seat so as to be enclosed between said seats when said seats are in their closed position.

5. In a combination folding seat and case,

the combination comprising a pair of seats in the form of half shells having top walls and side Walls extending downwardly from said topwalls,

means forming a hinge connection between adjacent side walls of said seats,

said seats being swingable between open and closed positions,

said seats being side by side in said open position,

said seats having open bottoms,

said sea-ts being disposed with their open bottoms opposite each other when said seats are in their closed position so as to form a case,

and a containerswingably connected to the inside of one of said seats adjacent the front thereof and being swingable between a carrying position and a position of use, 1

said container being disposed between said seats and within said case in said carrying position,

said container being swung below the front portion of the corresponding seat when said seats are in said open position and said container is in its position of use.

6. In a folding seat, 1

the combination comprising first and second seat members,

means forming a hinge connection between said seat members,

said seat members being swingable between a closed position in which said seat members are opposite each other and an open position in which said seat members are side by side to form a pair of seats,

first and second back rest membesr swingably mounted on said respective first and second seat members,

each of said back rest members being connected to the corresponding seat member adjacent one end thereof and being swingable between a collapsed position in which said back rest member is swung against the top of said seat member and an erected position in which said back rest member extends generally perpendicular to said seat member,

first and second lines looped around said first and second back rest members,

said lines having end portions connected to said respective first and second seat members for supporting said back rest members in their erected positions,

said lines providing handles when said back rest members are collapsed and said seat members are in their closed position.

7. In a combination folding seat and case,

the combination comprising a pair of seats in the form of half shells having top walls and side walls extending downwardly from said top walls,

means forming a hinge connection between adjacent side walls of said seats,

said seats being swingable between open and closed positions,

said seats being side by side in said open position,

said seats having open bottoms,

said seats being disposed with their open bottoms opposite each other when said seats are in their closed position so as to form a case,

and a pair of back members mounted on said respective seats,

each of said back members being swingably connected to the rear portion of the corresponding seat and being swingable between collapsed and erected positions,

said back member being swung against the top wall of the corresponding seat in said collapsed position,

said back member being generally perpendicular to the corresponding seat in said erected position.

8. In a combination folding seat and case,

the combination comprising a pair of seats in the form of hollow half shells,

each of said seats having a top Wall,

a pair of side walls,

and front and rear walls,

said side walls and said front and rear walls extending downwardly from said top wall,

means forming a hinge connection between the lower edge portions of adjacent side Walls of said seats,

said seats thereby being swingable between open and closed positions,

said seats being side by side in said open position,

said seats having their open bottoms opposite each other in said closed position so as to form a closed case,

and hook members swingably mounted on said seats within said hollow half shells adjacent the front walls thereof,

said hook members being swingable downwardly below said front walls when said seats are in said open position and being engageable with a seat board or the like for retaining the seats thereon,

said hook members being swingable into collapsed positions Within said hollow half shells when said seats are in said closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,244,605 Benoit June 3, 1941 2,702,076 Beardsley et a1. Feb. 15, 1955 2,740,466 DuPriest Apr. 3, 1956 2,786,514 DelFuoco Mar. 29, 1957 2,812,227 Hill Nov. 5, 1957 2,825,391 Underhill Mar. 4, 1958 2,865,433 Warner Dec. 23, 1958 2,957,515 Gibson Oct. 25, 1960 

1. IN A COMBINATION FOLDING SEAT AND LUNCH BOX, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND SIMILAR HOLLOW HALF SHELLS, MEANS FORMING A HINGE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID HALF SHELLS, SAID HALF SHELLS BEING SWINGABLE BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION IN WHICH SAID HALF SHELLS ARE OPPOSITE EACH OTHER TO FORM A CLOSED CASE, AND AN OPEN POSITION IN WHICH SAID HALF SHELLS ARE SIDE BY SIDE TO FORM A PAIR OF SEATS, FIRST AND SECOND BACK REST MEMBERS SWINGABLY MOUNTED ON SAID RESPECTIVE FIRST AND SECOND HALF SHELLS, EACH OF SAID BACK REST MEMBERS BEING CONNECTED TO THE CORRESPONDING HALF SHELL ADJACENT ONE END THEREOF AND BEING SWINGABLE BETWEEN A COLLAPSED POSITION IN WHICH SAID BACK REST MEMBER IS SWUNG AGAINST THE OUTSIDE OF SAID HALF SHELL AND AN ERECTED POSITION IN WHICH SAID BACK REST MEMBER EXTENDS GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID HALF SHELL, FIRST AND SECOND LINES LOOPED AROUND SAID FIRST AND SECOND BACK REST MEMBERS, SAID LINES HAVING END PORTIONS CONNECTED TO SAID RESPECTIVE FIRST AND SECOND HALF SHELLS FOR SUPPORTING SAID BACK REST MEMBERS IN THEIR ERECTED POSITIONS, SAID LINES PROVIDING HANDLES WHEN SAID BACK REST MEMBERS ARE COLLAPSED AND SAID HALF SHELLS ARE IN THEIR CLOSED POSITION, 